Divorce Can Be A Complex Topic — We Can Help

You may be apprehensive about asking for legal help. Our attorneys at Feinberg & Waller, APC understand your concerns. Here are some frequently asked questions on divorce issues. If you would like to discuss your family’s situation, our attorneys will explain how the process works in your context.

Should I File For Divorce Before My Spouse?

As a rule, unless there is a threat of harm, there is no legal advantage to filing first since in California, you do not have to show fault for a divorce. If you both live in the same county, there may not be a practical advantage. If can be an advantage, however, if your spouse lives halfway across the state.

How Is Property Divided In A Divorce?

California is a “community property” state. This means all the property accumulated during the marriage is usually split 50/50, as well as all of the debt. However, there is nothing simple about determining what that means and sometimes, some property is not evenly divided.

How Long Will My Divorce Take?

In California, the minimum time for a divorce proceeding is six months. This is only likely to happen with very straightforward divorces, where there are no children and few assets. For your divorce, the length of time is dependent on the complexity of your marital estate, your children, how cooperative your spouse will be, among other factors.

Will My Divorce Go To Trial?

This is very much an “it depends” question. Most civil litigation, including divorces, do not go to trial. Trials are expensive, time-consuming and stressful. Sometimes, they may be necessary. If your spouse is unwilling to compromise and cooperate with resolving disputes within your divorce, you may need a judge to resolve these conflicts.

More Divorce Questions?

Our experienced lawyers can help answer all your questions about these subjects and any other topics related to divorce. Call our office at 818-960-1334 or use our online form to make an appointment to speak with our attorneys.

Intake Process

Step 1

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How Do You Pick the Right Family Law Attorney? First, you must start scheduling consultations with different attorneys to be sure that your attorney is someone with whom you get along with and whose personality blends with yours. You need to find an attorney who is knowledgeable and one who has years of experience in family law. Price is also a consideration. When it comes to family law, this is not an area where you want to “bargain shop.” To simplify your experience in finding the right attorney, here is the Intake Process so you know what to expect when calling our office.

Step 2

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When you call Feinberg & Waller, APC for an initial consultation, our Case Intake Manager will ask some basic questions about you, your spouse, your financial picture, and your case. Our Intake Process helps us determine if we can handle your matter while managing the needs of our existing clients. Feinberg & Waller, APC limits the number of cases we accept because we’ve found that selectivity advances our commitment to excellence.

Step 3

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After we receive your basic information, we run a conflict check to make sure we have not spoken with your spouse in the past. We want to confirm there will be no conflict for us working with you as a potential new client. Thereafter, we will call you back to inform you of the results of the conflict check. If we are able to assist you, our Case Intake Manager will go over the range in fees, from our paralegals at $195/hr, to our associate attorneys starting at $250/hr, and our Certified Family Law Specialists (CFLS) starting at $550/hr. Due to the costs associated with processing new clients, the initial one-hour consultation fee is a flat rate in the amount of $600.

Step 4

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If we are able to handle your matter, we will schedule your consultation with one of Feinberg & Waller’s Certified Family Law Specialists. A CFLS has gone through a rigorous process of proven qualifications. They are better trained and more experienced than most other non-certified family law attorneys. You want to be sure to be on equal footing, if not better, than your spouse in terms of the credentials of your team. You want a lawyer who is committed enough to their craft to become board certified.